5 3 4 R E M A R K S o n 't h $
RELIGION. happinefs which every individual feels ftrongly in his breaft,
notwithftanding the prejudices o f education, and the wiles o f vice
and predominant luxury j it becomes more and more evident that
the Supreme Being deferves our humble adoration, our warmeft
attachment, and our unfeigned love: that we ought-to exert our
faculties in examining and ftudying the immenfe and infinite powers
and perfedions ■ o f this being; that it ihould Be our chief
thought and earneft endeavour to imitate, and to approximate the
bright virtues o f this great prototype o f perfection and goodnefs
to behave in a manner becoming the 'many ties and relations by
which the creator has been pleafed to conned us. with him and
other fubordinate beings. The above ideas or others to the fame
purpofe, form the ground work o f true religion, o f all natural
obligations, moral virtues , and religious, worthjp. - T h e ideas ; of
the inhabitants -of the South Sea iflands on this head, are vye niay
fuppofe, lefs clear, perfed and refined: however they acknowledge
an almighty invifible lord and creator o f the univerfe,, who executed
the various parts, o f his creation by various fubordinate powerful
beings. Th e y are o f opinion that he is good and omnifcient; that
he fees and hears all human adions, and is the giveriof all good gifts.
Th e y feel their own wants, and therefore apply -for redrefs -to the
Supreme Being, and offer to him, with a grateful heart, the beft
gifts o f their lands. Th e y acknowledge to have a being within
their
y
their bodies, which fees, hears, fmells, taftes,, and feels, which they r e l ig io n ,
call E^teehee ■, and they believe,, that, after, the dilfolution. o f the
body, it hovers about the corpfe; and laftly, retires into the
wooden, reprefentations of human bodies,, ereded.near, their, burying
places,. They are convinced o f the certainty, o f a happy, life in.the,
fun, where they, ihall-feaft, on breadfruit,, and meat which requires
no drefljng; and they think, it, their duty to dired their prayers to
this Supreme Divinity,..or. Eatoba-rahai. Thofe . who have, more
leifure among.thefe people,, are very defirous o f learning what is
known.relative to this and.all.other inferior divinities, and.to prac—
tife fuch virtues, as by the general.confent of mankind.conftitute.
good adtions j thefe are briefly the.general outlines; of their, religion,
and worlhip,..
Though thefe principles- are generally adopted among the greater.-
part .of mankind, provided they are not fo , much, degraded and de-
hafed as to have loft even thefe univerfally.acknowledged.notions o f
the Deity, and. of the duties we. owe him.; there is, however; not-
impropriety in believing that thefe very notions are the venerable,
remains of a tradition, which may have been br.ought.over.from the.
Afiatic continent,.. W e do not,.however, mean to infinuate, as i f
their notions of. the Deity and his worlhip were of. fuch a complexion
that they could not have been learnt but by tradition; there,
are, however, many reafons. which confirm me in this opinion^
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